The Cedar Park City Council dais is full again after Lyle Grimes was appointed to Place 3 on Jan. 10. He replaces Scott Mitchell, who announced his resignation Nov. 29.

Grimes has been a member of the city's 4A Economic Development Corporation Board for seven months and has worked for American Airlines for 17 years, currently working as a corporate sales manager. Grimes said he hopes to use his experience to bring jobs to the city and promote Cedar Park as a destination for businesses.

"A lot of people don't realize it's an equal distance from Cedar Park to the Austin airport and the Killeen airport. From a business standpoint, you can connect out of either airport, and companies can commute," he said. "I'm passionate about the city. The future is here, and I think that we can be the city on the hill.

Grimes grew up in the Dallas area and ran for City Council in Hurst while in his 20s, he said. Upon moving to Cedar Park about a year ago, he immediately joined the homeowner's association board at Highlands at Gann Ranch, where Mayor Pro Tem Mitch Fuller resides.

The newest councilman was among four other applicants who each underwent a 15-minute public interview, but Grimes was the only candidate that had not previously ran for Tony Dale's vacant Place 5 seat in November. Grimes said that at the time, he had not lived in the city for 12 months—a requirement to serve on council—so he applied at the next available opportunity.

"I just wanted to make sure I did everything by the book and was qualified for the job," he said.

Grimes studied government at The University of Texas before starting his career with American Airlines. He has a wife, Elexis, and two sons. His seat, as well as Stephen Thomas' Place 1 and Jon Lux's Place 5, will be placed on the ballot in May.